QUOTE: “Siddhartha had one single goal to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart. When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of being that is no longer Self the great secret!” -Herman Hesse, Siddartha
INTERPRETATION:
Siddhartha and his dedication to his goal (spiritual
enlightenment) is a moving story that inspires readers like me to push
through life goals and success. Determination, no doubt leads to success, and
throughout the story, Siddhartha shows his example of determination, "He
lost his Self a thousand times and for days on end he dwelt in nonbeing"; and
continues to work on obtaining his life goal. In life, a humans perseverance,
and dedication is key, the saying: What you put in, you will get out, is a
perfect example for Siddhartha’s story. One of the aspects of a classic novel
is how the reader relates the story to their life. Relating Siddhartha to one’s
life wouldn’t be a struggle, everyone has goals and dreams of being successful,
and completing personal accomplishments, but depending on your morals on life,
they will separate a person’s success, from failing. Siddhartha and modern day
humans do, and always have struggled with personal goals, nothing comes easy,
and frequently we face "roadblocks" which we must overcome. The
morality of Siddhartha is pushing through those struggles until the personal
goal is accomplished, hence "When all the Self was conquered and dead,
when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the
innermost of Being that is no longer Self - the great secret", this quote
is stating that when everything is lost, and you are presented with a sense of
no value, that the real "you" comes out that presents your true
morals, values, beliefs, and desires arise. Siddhartha, after attempting and
succeeding to achieve spiritual enlightenment (Nirvana), he has nothing else to
accomplish in the spiritual world. He then turns on finding his inner self, and
who he is to be.
Christine,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your interpretation of the excerpt from the text. I also agree with you that Siddhartha's triumphs and path to Nirvana does inspire others to achieve their goals and become successful.